The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was today prevented from holding its meeting at its temporary office in Rumuagholu in ObioAkpor Local government Area.
The state Chairman of the Union Beatrice Itubo who confirmed the development said some men walked into their office claiming to be acting on orders from above and warned them against holding their meeting at the venue after which it was locked up.
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Africa Today News, New York reports that NLC members proceeded to an undisclosed venue to hold their meeting which was aimed at uniting with the members of the United Labour Congress who has agreed to close ranks with the NLC.
Speaking from the undisclosed venue, Itubo wondered why the labour leaders would be prevented from holding their meeting at their office.
The Labour leader also said the government of the day should be held responsible if anything happens to any labour leader in Rivers State.
“As we were gathering to hold our meeting two men came to us. One of them introduced himself as the Councilor representing Ward 7 in Obio-Akpor, that they have a directive not to allow us hold our meeting in our office. They said that was the instruction they got from above.
“We were still trying to talk with them and before we knew it some more young boys arrived the place and started banging our vehicles and even pushed some of our workers saying we cannot hold our meeting.
“I don’t know when our state drifted to the level where people can no longer meet and discuss their problems.
“For God’s sake are we not supposed to meet as Labour members. They have locked the Secretariat that they said they built for us and this one that is our own they will still not allow us to meet.
“We don’t know why they don’t want Labour to meet. This is not the only Labour that has problems with its state government. There are several states with issues but they are lobbying.
“I want to put it on record that should anything happen to any Labour leader in Rivers State at this given time, the Governor of the state should be called to answer for it because he has resorted to unleashing his arsenals to haunt us. He has begun to bring his bad boys to attack us and we are aware.
“The Federal government should be aware, the international community should be aware that if anything should happen to any Labour leader in Rivers State, the Governor should be held.
The Rivers State government has been in a running battle with the organized Labour in the state following the insistence of Labour on the government to draw a template and fully implement the new National Minimum Wage for civil servants in the state.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK